quick clicks

special kids today articles

special kids today q&a

community & groups

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Expert Q&A

	By Jennifer Brout-Lynn psychologist

My son's teacher has suggested that I have him tested for some disorders. She mentioned ADHD, but she also mentioned sensory processing disorder (SPD). I have done some research on the Internet, and I think I am more confused thanever. My son does seem to enjoy making terribly loud and annoying noises. He climbs, jumps, flips and even bounces while he is doing homework or watching TV. He can't even sit still to play a video game. He jumps almost the entire time. He is 8. Right now he is struggling a bit in school. Could he have SPD? What sort of testing is done to find out?

Unfortunately testing an 8-year-old child for ADHD is easier said than done. While there are tests that are somewhat reliabile, it is very difficult to determine the true cause(s) of a young child's behavior. There is no "blood test" or anything equally definitive, and the symptoms of ADHD most certainly do overlap with the symptoms of sensory processing disorder.

The best way to approach this is to first consult with your pediatrician and make sure that anything medically related to these behaviors are ruled out. Next, I would suggest a neuropsychological assessment by a psychologist specially trained in this area. This is different from the traditional testing usually offered by the school and by most psychologists. It is a much more thourough evaluation and more useful in regard to discriminating between attention problems and other issues. Unfortunately the neuropsychololgical assessment can be quite costly. However, depending upon where you live your school district may either be able to provide this for you or may cover the cost.

Current Reasearch: Unfortunately, while the neuropsychological assessment is helpful there has not been enough research to determine physiological markers that distinguish SPD and ADHD. Therefore, even a highly skilled assesor cannot be 100 percent certain of the diagnosis. At the SPD Foundation, Dr. Miller and team found that both SPD and ADHD children are easily aroused by sensory stimuli in the environment. That is, both groups of children tend to react to noises, for example, more strongly than children without disorders (so strongly that everyday noises can put their bodies into the "fight or flight" mode). However, ADHD children calm down faster than SPD children who stay in this over-aroused state. Others have observed that ADHD children maintain their distractibility and/or hyperactivity even when they are met with the appropriate level of stimuli in the environment, where as SPD children are able to concentrate as long as the environment suits their needs.

View more Q&A by this Expert